EU Mulls 541 Million Dollars in German, Austrian, Czech Flood Aid
Baku, October 4 (AZERTAC). The European Commission recommended that the EU should assist Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic with around 398 million euros (541 million dollars) to help the countries recover from recent floods.
The EU Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn said that move would be “an expression of European solidarity” to help the member states “get back on their feet,” according to EU newsroom.
The proposal by the European Commission has to be approved by EU governments and the European Parliament to come into effect.
“We should give a strong signal before Christmas that we have done our jobs and kept our promises,” Hahn said.
The aid would come from the bloc’s Solidarity Fund, which was created a decade ago to help member states cope with natural disasters. It is meant to assist countries with essential emergency operations and non-insurable damage.
The devastating spring floods covered an area stretching from southern Germany through to Poland, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Austria.
Germany suffered a total of 8.1 billion euros in damage and is eligible for 360 million euros in EU aid, Hahn said. Austria and the Czech Republic, which saw less damage, would be in line to receive 21.6 million euros and 15.9 million euros respectively.
Hungary did not qualify for any Solidarity Fund aid because it sustained only 27 million euros in damage, Hahn said.
Also on Thursday, the commission proposed that Romania should be awarded 2.4 million euros in Solidarity Fund aid to help cover damage it sustained from a drought and forest fires last year.(QNA)
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